For the last few weeks, whenever the Los Angeles Lakers are in the news, it’s usually because of Russell Westbrook. The entire fanbase of the franchise has been wondering whether Westbrook will get traded ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season or not.
Well, after believing for weeks that he would indeed get traded, the tide has started to change now. The Purple and Gold searched a lot to find a good trade for Brodie. But they didn’t see much success in that.
The closest they have come to replacing Russ has been trading for Patrick Beverley. After the announcement of Pat Bev’s trade to the Lakers, the initial reaction of most fans was that Westbrook might soon get traded as the team had found a replacement for him.
But as we are getting closer to the beginning of the new season, it’s becoming clear that the Lakers plan to keep both Russ and Pat Bev on the roster.
Skip Bayless Praises Patrick Beverley
The most likely scenario as of now seems that the coaching staff will give Westbrook one last chance to prove his worth to them. If he fails to impress them, he will most certainly be shifted to the bench while Beverley will start for the Lakers.
NBA analyst Skip Bayless recently shared his thoughts on the same in a video where he said something along similar lines.
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1567522649093378050
“I love Patrick Beverley. I love his fire, I love his grit, I love his spit in your eye. I love everything about what a pro’s pro he is. I love how he distracts, I love how he needles, how he gets under skin, how he figures every single way to get the most out of his ability. Russell Westbrook came across as, ‘I’m gonna show up, and I’m gonna bless him as my backup.’ Russ is still thinking, ‘I’m the king of LA because I grew up here, I’m a Laker fan, I’m the starting point guard for the Lakers.’ I got news for Russ, he may start but he ain’t finishing because right here right now, I believe that Patrick Beverley is more valuable than Russell Westbrook.”
Bayless seems pretty convinced that Patrick Beverley’s trade will be extremely useful for the Lakers. From being vocal to shooting three-pointers, Pat Bev can do everything.
While his production might be less than Russell Westbrook’s, he has another trick up his sleeve. Beverley is an elite defender and something that the Lakers didn’t see from Russ last season. So there is a very real chance of Russ coming off the bench and Pat Bev taking his starting spot.
